Weekly Volcano #27: Broken Top, Oregon Cascades

 

Broken Top is located near Bend, Oregon. 

A place i used to enjoy, but now I'e heard it has been over-run by wealthy retirees.

The 'top' isn't broken, just deeply eroded.  It is part of a four volcano cluster.

Denver Botanical Gardens

Currently hosting an exhibition of Henry Moore's sculpture through January 2011.

Denver Botanical Gardens

Red Rocks Friday: On The Edge

Life on the edge is always interesting. 

Another view from Canyonlands National Park.

Weekly Volcano #26: Cerro Totuma

Cerro Totuma is a lava dome within Tisingal Volcano, a neighbor of Volcan Baru in western Panama.

We're starting a Panama Series..............

Playing with Digital Negatives

 As I contemplate a return to Alternative Processes, especially to continue with the Family Project,

I'm working with digital negatives to use for contact printing cyanotypes and van dykes.

In a week or so I hope to show you some new alternative prints.

to see just how far you can go with this, visit Don Anderson's website.

Our Last View: The Wild Animal Sanctuary

You are greeted by a Lioness

The Wild Animal Sanctuary was founded to rescue wild animals from horrid lives in captivity.

You may remember the Tiger that was kept as a 'pet' in a New York City apartment?

We found out about the place because my mother-in-law had seen a documentary on Animal Planet.
So during here recent visit we ventured out into the plains.

We say goodbye with a howling wolf!

Wild Animal Sanctuary: Tigers

An awful fact, there are more tigers held in captivity in North America than there are remaining in the wild!  Unfortunately most of these animals are hybrids of Siberian and Bengal tigers, and terribly inbred;  therefore not suitable for zoo breeding programs.  The first animal rescued by the sanctuary was a tiger.

 This tiger was particularly cooperative; his companion was sleeping in the shade.

Tigers are kept in male-female pairs because they are somewhat social.  Don't worry, they've been 'fixed'!

Tigers (and jaguars) are the only cats I know of that really love to get wet! 

It was a warm day so he soaked for a while. 

 An later, doing what kitties everywhere do, time to groom!

The Wild Animal Sanctuary: Animals in Black and White

The Wild Animal Sanctuary is home to 200 lions, tigers, black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, leopards, cougars, and other carnivores.  Some we rescued from circuses, zoos (closed by the government),, but most were held in captivity as ''pets" by misguided individuals.

The lions were mostly sleeping.  But this guy woke up in time for a picture.

Camera:  Minolta SRT-202
Lens:  Tamron 28-200 f/2.8 zoom
Film:  Ilford Delta ISO 400  (I find that ISO 100 is grainier)
Filter:  Yellow

Weekly Volcano #25: Piton de Niege

Me inside one of the Canyons of Piton de Niege, the extinct volcano of Reunion Island.

Patagonia Sunday: Mt Fitzroy

Mt Fitzroy from the Argentine side.  Apparently the mountain sits on the border with Chile. 

Fitzroy sits near the town of Chalten, which was a disputed area claimed by Chile.  So the Argentine government encouraged migration to the area to bolster the population against Chilean advances.  Remember that President Mehnem was voted out because he sign a treaty with Chile that gave up more land.  Basically the entire border is in dispute.

Red Rocks Friday: Still Waiting for an Arch?

Court House Rocks,

Arches National Park, Utah

I know, you're still waiting for an arch.  But that would be so predictable!

Here's a link to my favorite photo from Arches, but again not an Arch.  And the web doesn't do justice to this photo.  So browse at a few of Rick's other photos.

Late Summer Days at Brainard Lake

Last Summer we attempted a camping trip to Brainad Lake, which opens July 4th weekend.

It rained every evening and there was still snow on the ground!

This is the beginning of the Long Lake Trail.  There are several smaller lakes and streams that feed Brainard Lake.

You can see Long Lake in the background through the trees.

These were taken with the Canonet QL17, before it died.  Still trying to decide if I should fix it or just buy another.

Weekly Volcano #24: Volcan Baru

 Volcan Baru, Western Panama

 

 Should we start a Panama Series?

I have tons of photos, some of them actually worth seeing!

Patagonia Sunday

We'll resume our Sunday adventures in Patagonia.  Today on the Argentine side approaching Los Glaciares National Park I saw, yes, another dead tree (have you figured out that I like dead trees?).  I had my filter on full polarization.  I was criticized once for "over polarizing" but I do it because I am not trying to reproduce nature, I'm trying to reproduce what appeals to me!

Another final bow to E100GX!

All of our Patagonia photos were taken with it.

E100GX, Gone Forever!

I was trying to place a new order for my favorite transparency film: E100GX, only to find that while I wasn’t looking, Kodak cancelled my film! 

They say that there was little demand for it, but I say they deliberately killed it by refusing to sell to small distributors and forcing only the most dedicated to order on-line.  My local photo developer dropped ALL Kodak films after they weren’t allowed to sell E100GX.  Losing vendors is really shooting yourself in the foot!  They are currently pushing E100VS, but it is grainier and produces violet tinged reds.

I can still get some 35mm E100GX, so I’m stocking up.  But it leaves me to wonder if I should completely discontinue Medium Format Color Photography.  I don’t like Fuji Velvia, which is supposed to be comparable.  I’ve never really liked Fuji color films, so I’m not particularly encouraged to try Fuji Astia, unless one of you can guarantee that I won’t end up with red Buffalo!

So I have 5 rolls of medium format E100GX, what should I photograph with it?

Weekly Volcano #23: Mount Saint Augustine, Alaska

"Discovered" by Captain Cook on Saint Augustine's Day in 1778 and now officially named Augustine Volcano.  My first crossing of paths with David Johnston.  He had studied the 1978 eruption of Augustine.  His party had crashed on the island during the eruption due to ash in the helicopter engines.  A warning for those of you who don't understand closing airports because of volcanic eruptions!  His party was rescued just hours before they would have been killed by the major eruptive phase.

We had the opportunity to take an overflight, looking down into the crater I had walked through just days before. And the transport for our expedition and the overflight, a vintage 1948 Cesna Otter.

Views of the classic Pelean Spine, produced by the 1978 eruption, destroyed by the 1986 eruption.